Sermon Outline

Twenty-Seventh Sunday After Pentecost; Proper 21-B

October 1, 2006

Eric M. Williams

“Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

I.                    Theme of today’s readings is conflict:  Esther, Gospel

II.                 Conflict is just as difficult today as it was back then:  Fear that conflict will destroy relationships

III.               Kingdom thinking vs. Conventional thinking

a.       Conventional thinking:  “If you’re not with us, you’re against us.”

b.      Kingdom thinking:  “If you’re not against us, you’re with us.”

IV.              As Christians, we have the opportunity to do conflict differently

a.       Key is to fit the right response to the right situation

b.      Esther:  Direct confrontation of Haman as he is about to wipe out her people

c.       Jesus:  words about mutilation are designed to get our attention.  I think what he is saying is that conflict should first cause us to look inward for the source of the problem.  Easy to blame someone else. Hard to examine ourselves.

                                                               i.      Pragmatic approach as well.  Advised the disciples to shake the dust off their feet when they were rejected and move on.

V.                 You all probably remember the classic PEANUTS situation between Charlie Brown and Lucy.  Over and over again, Lucy would offer to hold the football while Charlie Brown kicked it.  But time and time again, as he ran up to kick the ball, Lucy would pull it away, and Charlie Brown would fly into the air and land flat on his back.  One day, Lucy offered to hold the football again, Charlie Brown declined saying he knows how it always goes, and he does not want it to happen again.  As soon as he accused Lucy of her past wrongs, she began weeping, “Oh, you’re so right. I admit that in the past I’ve played cruel tricks on you. But I’ve seen the error of my ways. I’ve seen the hurt in your eyes. Won’t you give this poor repentant girl another chance?”  Charlie Brown said, “Okay.” So he backed up, ran up to the ball, and just as he was about to kick it, Lucy pulled the ball away. Once again Charlie Brown ended up on his back.  As Lucy walked away, she commented to a friend, “Unfortunately, recognizing your faults and actually changing your ways are two different things.”

VI.              Sure Jesus could do it—but how do we model ourselves on him?

a.       Being authentically ourselves in every situation

                                                               i.      Jesus was completely true to himself every moment—with his friends, his enemies, the crowd.

b.      Telling the truth as we see it, no matter what the cost

c.       Seeking to preserve relationships even in the midst of serious disagreement.

d.      Being willing to admit our mistakes and shortcomings and failures.

e.       Cost of discipleship—time, energy, pride

f.        Suffering the consequences of others’ anger and hatred

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